Why be college ready?

Below is some information for you to consider as you make your career decisions.

According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 30% of the 46.8 million job openings created by 2018 will require some college or a two-year associate degree. (Carnevale, Anthony, et al, Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018, Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown University, 2010, p. 13)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that middle-skill jobs (jobs that generally require some significant education and training beyond high school but less than a bachelor’s degree) will account for about 45% of all job openings projected through 2014. (BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition)

Nearly one in six “hot jobs,” jobs paying above the median wage and having above average growth, will require an associate degree or some postsecondary training. (American Association of Community Colleges)

Of the occupations requiring postsecondary education, those requiring an associate degree are projected to grow the fastest, at about 19 percent. (BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition)

By 2018, the U.S. will need at least 4.7 million new workers with postsecondary certificates, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. (Carnevale, Anthony, et al, Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018, Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown University, 2010, p. 1)

How do I become college ready?First you need to really think about what interests and skills you have. How do you spend your time? What do you like to do?You can go tohttp://www.pacareerzone.org/Click on Begin Assessment. Take the assessments. Those assessments will help you look more closely at your interests, skills and match them to possible occupations.

Your interests and career aspirations will help determine the precise knowledge and skills you will need to be ready for college or technical school. Talk to your guidance counselor and teachers about how to select technical and academic courses to prepare you for your intended career. You may find you need more math or science courses or you should try your hand at technical writing. Plus, matching academic skills with technical courses will prepare you with valuable thinking skills like problem solving, interpretation, and precision and accuracy. Also, as you progress through high school, don’t forget to develop the following soft skills that will prepare you for college and and a career:

Time Management

Study Skills

Goal Setting

Persistence

Working with Others/Team Work

Proficiency using Technology

Ownership of Your Learning

Explore Career and Technical Education Programs with your guidance counselor who can guide you to programs that match your interests and skills. Investigate the programs that you are interested in to see if they make you both college and career ready. Ask your counselor if college bound preparation is associated with the programs you are considering.

Meet with your school’s guidance counselor and ask for help to develop a career plan that matches your needs, interests, skills and goals.

By the way -did you know?A person with an associate degree or two year credential will earn, on average, over $5,000 a year more than a person with just a high school diploma and a person with a CTE-related associate degree or credential will earn between $5,000 and $15,000 more a year than a person with a humanities or social sciences associate degree. (Jacobson, L., et al, Pathways to Boosting the Earnings of Low-Income Students by Increasing Their Educational Attainment, Gates Foundation/Hudson Institute, 2009)